Dirigible headlight



Feb. 11, 1930. A H. H. MORETON 7 1,746,402

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Filed Jan. 10. 1928 Patented Feb. 11, 1930 HENRY H. MORE'ION, OF STONY POINT, NEW

DIRIGILBLE HEADLIGHT Application filed January 10, 1928. Serial no. 245,694.

This invention is a light projecting device of the dirigible type, for use on motor or other Vehicles.

Oneof the objects of the invention 'is to provide a headlight or spotlight lamp hav- 1 ing means formovably supporting it, and so arranged that the movements thereof are coordinated with movements of the steering mechanism of the vehicle. A further object is to provide a device of the character mentioned, so arranged that as it moves with the steering mechanism ofthe vehicle, its beam is not only projected toward the direction to which the Vehicle is turning, but is also slightly lifted to increase the range of illumi nation.

dirigible light mechanism so constructed that itwill assume various positions in conformity to the direction of travel of thevehicle," buthaving means for preventing the-viv bratlons of the steering mechanism due to rough roads or other causes, from being communicated to the lamp.

The inventlon will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation illustrating a portlon of a motor vehlcle wlth 1 Figure 2 is Q the invention applied. thereto. a detailview illustrating the actuating con-- nection between the lamp and the steering mechanism. Figures 3 and 4 are detail views illustrating the bearing brackets for supporting the dirigible device.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates one of the side bars of the chassis of a motor vehicle, and 11 one of the front springs, said spring connected to the forward end of the sidebar 10 and also to the axle. 12, in the usual-way. The connecting rod between the two steering knuckles of a standard steering mechanism is lndicated at 13. The rest of the steering mechanism is not shown, it bethe usualconstruction well understood in the art. 1-

apart clamps 14, each of which is provided A further object is to provide a ing understood that the rod 18 is part of witha pro ecting rod 15, said rods being arranged in parallelrelation with a small space between them as shown.

Secured to the chassis in suitable manner,

is a forward bearing bracket 16, fanda rear bearing bracket 17. The bracket16 is of approximate L-shape inside View and pro' jects above theplane of the sidebar 10. The

bracket 17 depends below the plane of the side bar 10, and is provided with a slightly offset portion 18 shaped to form a bearing 19, in'line with an inclined bearing 20carried by the" bracket 16. l Rotatably mounted i the bearings 19 and 20 is the dirigible shaft 21, suitable stops 22 being provided to limit endwise movement of said shaft. A lamp 23 of any desired form is mounted in the usual form of lamp bracket 24;, conventionally shown in Figure1. Said bracket is pivotally connected to the shaft 21,as indicated fat 25, and held {in any de-7 sired angular adjustment with respect tothe axis of the shaft, by means ofa thumb nut 26. The lower'end of the shaft21 is provided wit-h acrank arm 27, which extends loosely between the rods 15. z

In practice, the lamp 23 is adjusted to any desired angle with relation to the axis of the shaft2l, and the .clampsl t are secured in positions to. cause the rods 15to engageopposite sides of the crank arm 27, so that sideso wise movement of said rods will impart, rotations to the shaft 21, but up and down movements of said rods willhave no effect upon said shaft. In operation, the lateral movement of the connecting rod 13in either direction, for the purpose of steerin'gthevehicle, causes the rods 15,by reason of their'engagement with the crankarm 27 to rotate the shaft 20. Such rotationis always in a directionto project the beam from thelamp lat- 9o terally toward thegside to which the vehicle in turning. This'changing-of'the direction of projection, of the beam. is broughtabout by reason of the angularrelatifon of the lamp 23 with respect to theaais ofthe shaft 21,

tion towardwhichthe vehic'leis turningbuc also directs said beam sli htly upward so that it is projected forwardly a greater distance than it normally would be. As the vehicle again resumes a straight course, the direction of rotation of the shaft 20 is reversed to bring the lamp to its normal straight-ahead osition.

h ad a ta es of e nve on wi be read 1y apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention belongs. An important advantage is that b a reason of the char:

actor of the connection etween the connecting bar of the steering mechanism and the crank arm of the dirigible shaft, up and down movement of the connecting rod with respen to t e dirigiblo shaft s po -m ed, s

, at vibrations and shocks imparted to the t ninggoar are n t tran mit ed t he said "x k; sha or to the lamp ca i d thorow by migre, a s d y Proje ed be a sured Anoth r mport n a va a e i th he am er of oo ing p r s s r d to a minimum, and tha the cha ge n d r tioh t t pr ieo lon'o e beam is accomso withou e i t rpos n of mplivers and equa izi g d v e a te posed between the 's'tqbfllillg lnechanisin and the lamp It is ,o be u d stood t at a t h b so one and it op a ng me an sm are illustrated and des bed, t invention is l mited ho o o, c use it is ob ou a wo or more lamps m y be mp ed, it y being e o sry to d pl a e t s d ig ll sh ft and ts upp t a d t e m n fo na ly onnecting a d ha with tho g ogmo hehism- Hs mg thus xp ained t na u e of tho hvont os d crib d an p ati nor of constructing and using the same, although without attempt g l1o s forth all of the tom n wh ch It may be mad or ll of forms of its use, what is claimed is A di ig b hosdl sht oohiprisih e ir- 4 shaf bearin s ar anged n vi o h nta Plane so as o p ota s y uppo oislsha t in a n rmally inclined Po was i s t a end high tha it id rear and having means by which the 59 my be rota ed, an a l mp m t on '4 f ont and in n ma y fi-Xod angular $46119! w th to aid.- ha it A d rigih'lo hea li ht mp sihs 11 irs shaft, omtably upp rti said I: it is a normally hslicod posi on w t its rom highe than its rea and; s id rea bei g Provided with a c nk a m pos Y to he e g ge. w th t e teer ng mo aci a 'voh sle, s that. rotatio o n slut; will be os sdina ed with the s eer in. 0 s id rah-isle, a lamp m sh-ted o be t sh f 4 sa ad .7 i 1 some headlight assessi g sli $841, w o /stably suspense sai 5 [is a s uib i 4 with its front end higher than its rear end, said shaft having a lamp at its front end and means at its rear end for operatively engaging the steering mechanism of a motor vehicle so that rotation of said shaft will be coordinated with the steering of the vehicle, said steering mechanism engaging means being constructed to permit free vertical movement of said steering mechanism with respect to said shaft.

4. The combination with a motor vehicle of a dirigible shaft, means carried by the vehicle rotatably supporting said shaft in an inclined position with its front end higher than its rear end, said rear end being provided with a crank arm engaged with the steering mechanism of the vehicle so that rotation of the shaft will be coordinated with the steering of the vehicle, and a lamp mounted on the front end of said shaft.

5. In combination with a motor vehicle and the steerin mechanism thereof of a bracket attache to said steering mechanism and provided with spaced apart pins, a dir igible shaft, means carried by the vehicle rotatably supporting said shaft in a normal- 1% inclined position with its front end higher t an its rear end, said rear end being provided with a crank ar n interposed between said pins so that operation of the steering mechanism may impart rotation to said shaft, and a lamp mounted ,on the front end of said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' HENRY H. MORETON. 

